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Dyakida had just finished a project, one that had required intense dexterity and laborious focus. Now, she sat downstairs, soothing her fingers in a bowl of mostly cool water, pillowing her head on her arm. Her stomach rumbled vaguely and she shifted in discomfort. She was hungry, and there was no one to make her something to eat - not that she couldn't make something herself. She just didn't want to. Unfortunately, there were no easy-to-eat snacks in the house that didn't require knifework - one of those things she dared not train Peyla to do. So, she figured she'd just starve until someone got back and made it for her. Eventually.

She lifted her head at the knock and blinked blearlily. "Hello?" she called out. Her Sisters shouldn't be back this soon, should they? "The door's open."

"Oh! Hello Mnyiri." Dyakida rubbed her face, trying to wake herself up a little. "Mmph." she removed her fingers from the water, shaking them out. Even that was too much effort for the moment, though, and she wished she hadn't as they rebuked her for her hard work. They were probably red, possibly swollen. Dyakida didn't want to know.

Still, she managed a wave in the direction of the door, then turned as she realized that Mnyiri was actually right there. Oops... she thought, embarrassed at how slow she had been on the uptake. Normally, she tracked people better than this.

"A long day..." she said, tiredly, "I'm fine... how are you?" she asked, smiling, "It's been a while since you dropped by..." sudden concern crossed her face, "... was I expecting you to come today? If so, I apologize, but I'd quite forgotten..."

"My fingers? They're fine." Dyakida lied, putting her fingers back into the water with some relief. It was probably a good thing that Kida couldn't see them, if they looked as awful as they felt. "... The cream would be appreciated, though. Thank you." she said, too tired to hide her embarrassment.

"Yael...?" Dyakida responded, as much a question as a statement. Yael... that was so far away. She had only heard of the dangers of that place in rumor and legend - beasts that erupted from the mud, poison in the very earth itself. She roused her mind to make words, questions, conversation, but it moved slowly. It had busied itself with arrows and blades, bowstrings and spearshafts. Words sunk into it like soft sand...

"Hmm?" Oh yes, the subject had changed. Dyakida fought to keep the previous subject anchored in her mind - it required a response. "I... erm..." When had she last eaten? When had she last taken a break? "I'm not sure." she said sheepishly. That wasn't a good sign. "But I think I'm hungry." Her stomach rumbled in noisy helpfulness as punctuation.

"I had so many comissions..." she said, trying to defend hersef, "And there was this fine crystal to work with, and..." she winced as her fingers twinged. They would be okay. She hoped - was sure - that they would be. They'd been worked harder.

"Mmm...!" That massage felt good on her fingers. Funny how much of her soul was poured into her hands - she could feel the whole of her body relaxing, just from the soothing of her poor hands.

"Mmm..." she blushed a little at the admonishment. "That's... true. I could argue that my weapons are my break, but that wouldn't be really true..." her eyes narrowed, "... of course, if there was someone to massage my hands like this, I think i would be taking more breaks." she quipped and wondered, idly, if she could somehow get Mnyiri to do her neck? Would that be too forward? It, too, was stiff and tired.

"Well, at the moment, I have no one to hold my hand." she said, a little shyly.

"Mm, so you are." Dyakida said. It took her a few moments of getting the soreness worked out of her hands to realize that Oh! Yes! She is holding my hands!
But did that mean something else? Or didn't it? Huh... Dyakida thought, following the sound of the bells as Mnyiri moved, It could.

"That means, of course, that you'll come back from your trip." Dyakida said lazily, or perhaps belatedly. "If you don't decide that Matori isn't a better place to live." It was certainly lovely there. Dyakida wouldn't blame a sister - especially one who had to prove themselves to the tribe - for living there instead.

Wait...

"Why wouldn't the Elders think that you 'had what it takes'?" Dyakida asked, a little puzzled. Mnyiri was a capable young woman, strong of mind and body from what Dyakida knew of her. Why should the Elders have a problem?

Well that was dark. And ridiculous.

She had also forgotten that Mnyriri was a hybrid - one fourth of one. Which meant that Aisha had decided she was worthy twice.

Dyakida had many thoughts on the matter of hybrids, but she couldn't summon them into words that didn't feel numb on her lips.

"I am hungry." Dyakida said, thinking about the vibrations of the table and the chiming of the bells. "Can I ask you for something first, though?" she stretched her hands gently, lifting them with some reluctance and holding them out, "May I take a look at you?"

Normally, Dyakida would not have giggled. "Just your face..." she said, a little embarrassed but, simultaneously, oddly not at the implied for now. Well, and her shoulders too. And neck, if she really felt like being properly specific, which she wasn't.

She could feel smooth skin over hard muscle, relaxed but powerful. A graceful neck - much the same - the same steadiness, the same confidence espressed in its pose. But also relaxed. Not stressed - good. Dyakida did not wish to stress her.

The chin. The lobes of long ears, pierced but otherwise unmarred. The finely boned face - she could feel the smile under her hands. "Am I tickling you?" she asked, a little apologetically as she felt the ridge of Mnyiri's brow, her own eyes shut tight for no other reason than simple focus.